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HEW ZEALAND FROZEN MEAT

LONDON BOTCHERS' PROFITS.

The "English agricultural correspondent " of the •' New Zealand Herald " has been enlightening the readers of that journal on the subjeot of the profits made by retail butchers on the salo of New Zealand fn zen meat. To show how large those profits are, the correspondent obtained a printed list of -retail prices of oue of the largest firms In Eogland, end compared those prioes with those of the wholesale market. Writing on Janu. ry 29, be lays: — "Last Monday the wholesale price of Canterbury mntton was 2* 6d to 2_ 7d per 81b, Probably suoh large buyers did not give more than 2> 6i at the outside ; but let ns give them the benefit of tbe doubt, and suppose that the mutton cost them 41a pound delivered In thoir retail ahops, and then see what amonnt of gross profit they made on a osrease of 601 b, costing them 20s. To begin with, they offer the whole carcase at 6_d per lb, at which rate It comes to 27* 6i, allowlug a profit of 7s 6d. Now let us sea what the joints oome to at the prioes advertised : — £ s d Two Legs, weighing 151 b, at BJd 010 7_ Two Loins, weighing 121 b, at 7d.. 0 7 0 Two Shoulders, weighing 181 b, at 6_d 0 7 0. Two Neoks, weighing lllb. at s_d O 5 0J Two Brea.ts weighing s£lb, at 4d 0 1 10 Waste Fat, weighing 2slb, at 3d.. 0 0 7_ Loss m onttiog up, lib . . ..000 Total, 601 b £1 12 2 The weights represent about tho averages fro joints actually supplied by the firm m question during the past twelve months, ezoept tbat given for two necks, and if there is any correction needed it is to make the necks a little lighter and the shoulders a few ounces heavier, which would make my esse slightly stronger. The gross profi shown here is 12s 2d ; but let ns give them tbe coppers m, and put it at 12s, or exactly 60 per cent on the outlay The only price not their own is tbe 3d for weste iv, aud if that be a halfpenny a pound too much the allowance above made will make it good. Tbe terms are cash or weekly bills. It is only fair to state that they send round for orders if desired, and deliver the meat to the householders. Of course the expenses have to oome off the 60 per cent The S' rioes tbey quote are for the • best Canterury' mutton They sell English mutton also, and they sell it, as theirs is a cash trade, at prioes lower than those charged by most other butchers To show tbe difference m the retail prioes of English and New Zealand mutton, I give the quotations of this firm side by eido : — Best English. Canterbury. Legs, per lb • . . . 9_d . . 8d Loins, per lb . . . . B_d . . 7d Shoulders, per lb . . 8d . . 6£d Neoks, per lb .. .. 7d .. s]i Breaßts, per lb  .. 4£d .. 4d Chops, trimmed, per lb 12d .. lOd Even for the best pluts.there is a diflbrtnoe of only l£d a pound, whereas m the wholesale meat market the difference at present between- the best New Zealand button and second quality English is Sf 4 a pound for the whole carcase. Apparently, theft, the profit of the retailer, even where he sells frozan mntton for what It firi as lv the esse of the firm referred to ts'muoh greater on New Zealand than on English mutton."

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